Running Executables or Installers on Different Windows Versions

Issue Details

I want to run an executable or installer that was created on a Windows PC on another Windows PC with a different operating system.  Will I run into any issues doing so?

For example:

• I have created a installer of an application with LabVIEW or CVI on a Windows 10 computer. I would like to know if I can use this same installer to install my application (EXE) to computers with different versions of Windows.
• I have created an installer for my LabVIEW application on my development machine, which is Windows 7. When I move it to an older version of Windows like Windows XP, I get this error: The installation requires Windows 7 SP1 or later.
• I have created a installer of an application with LabVIEW 2015 on a Windows 7 computer. When I use the same installer to install my application on a Windows 10 computer I get a broken arrow that says: This VI is not executable. The full development version of LabVIEW is required to fix the errors.

Solution

Installers and executables are only guaranteed to work on the operating system they are built on.  For example, a Windows 10 installer or executable may not work as expected on a different Windows version (e.g. Windows XP, Windows 8, or Windows 7). Also, if you are using .NET framework to develop your code, make sure you are using the same versions of .NET in your Development PC and your Deployment PC. If needed, you can force LabVIEW to use a particular .NET version. 

Alternatives:

• Rebuild the executable/installer on a computer that matches the OS version and bitness of the requested deployment machine. 
• Set up a virtual machine that matches the OS version and bitness of the machine used to build the executable or installer.
• Run the application using Windows compatibility mode. This is not known to be a reliable solution. You will have to look up the steps for running compatibility mode for your specific Windows version as the steps are different for different versions of Windows.
• If the runtime is missing after the installer runs, you may need to install the runtime engine separately when installing to different OS versions. 

Additional Information

NI dropped support for older Windows versions, such as Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, in May 2021. For further details on this you can refer to NI Support for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2, and All 32-Bit Windows.